Hard to believe that summer is over already. The month of
September brings with it an unhappy anniversary, that of
September 11. Who would believe that it has been ten years since
this mindless and horrible terrorist act devastated our hopes
for a more peaceful world. Life has become more difficult on
many fronts since then. Travel certainly has put a crimp into
the pleasure part of it.

But there are plenty of diversions to make us think that life is
not so bad after all. Of course the Canadian National Exhibition
is one and we went and also invited a more typical family than
we are to report on their likes and dislikes of this annual
fair.

The Toronto International Film Festival has started its previews
and will go full force as we are coming out with this
publication. The first report is by one of our almost regular
writers, Lucille De Saint-Andre called “Le Havre” and is already
hailed as the festival’s best.

There are a few great German film productions also, besides a
lot of co-productions. One is a about the famous German Painter
Gerhard Richter, we had seen here in Toronto some years back
with a major retrospective of his work at the AGO. It was quite
an honor to have him here and speak with him. When I interviewed
him at that time he invited me to come and see him in his studio
in Köln (Cologne), but I never made it back to Germany. His fame
and importance has only grown over the years and he is now
recognized as one of the most important artists of his
generation in the world. There will be a major retrospective of
his work in a major museum in England. People interested in art
should definitely see this film.

Another film is about Germany’s relationship with Africa. This
movie sounds promising if a bit mythical with the title being
“This River was a Man”. Other German films we have seen before
with an African theme were always fascinating, thus I am certain
this one will be too.

In the Art Barn at Christie Avenue there is a most interesting
theatrical presentation about autistic people and how they can
communicate with the help of electronic devices. This is
supported by the Goethe Institut Toronto.